Saturday, February 15, 2014

The backyard chickens of Lake County have come home to roost -- and it's all over the Route 53 Extension. For years Lake County officials have gotten themselves re-elected by telling voters -- over and over again -- that they are taxed too much. Well these same officials now have a monster highway construction project coming down the pike and, haha, no tax dollars to pay for it.

Prospects for the Route 53 Extension have devolved to a level where it is devolving upon private industry to come up with the bucks to build it. According to the Daily Herald ...

Would private companies and developers help pay to extend Route 53 north into Lake County through a special taxing district? That's one solution to overcoming a cash shortfall, members of a tollway advisory group considered Thursday.Funding options for 53 extension still elusive

Ops are advised not to despair. The wheeler dealers of Lake County have come up with a new plan, one ludicrous enough that it just might work. Your LakeCountyEye has learned that corporate sponsorships are now going to be sold to pay for the Route 53 Extension. One high ranking official told your LakeCountyEye (on condition that he would appear to be totally made up): "If they can sell the naming rights for the CTA and Comiskey Park, then why not the Route 53 Extension? We already got a truckload of sponsors who want to see their corporate logos on our traffic signs. Don't worry, we plan to do it right, with real class, the logos will blend right in with the signs. No one will notice anything unless they are really looking."

He produced a binder of mock-ups. "These are ten that you can have -- here's an idea, make them look like one of those stupid Internet top ten lists."